The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a notice Thursday declaring it is appealing a federal judge’s decision that the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census would be unlawful.

The notice did not give any information on the substance of the administration's appeal, but the Justice Department had argued that Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross had the authority to add the question to the census and that in the past, the question had been included.

Government - Question - Census - People - United

“Our government is legally entitled to include a citizenship question on the census and people in the United States have a legal obligation to answer,” Justice spokeswoman Kelly Laco said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

“Reinstating the citizenship question ultimately protects the right to vote and helps ensure free and fair elections for all Americans.”

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Judge Jesse Furman of the Southern District of New York in a decision on Tuesday said the addition of the question to the census was “arbitrary and capricious,” and prohibited the administration from including it.